Learning to Live
by Spring Witch
Summary: Ritsu has left home and enrolled in a school of the arts. While working in his new job, he meets some people who may just show him how to truly live life to the fullest. And Keichi's never met anyone with eyes like Ritsu's before... Ritsu/OC, slash.
1. Prologue

Ritsu Sohma sighed and looked around his new apartment with a satisfied smile

Hello and welcome to my new project. This whole thing has been written during my uni lectures and even some tutorials. Heh, anyone would think I was bored. This is my first Furuba fanfic in a while, so I hope you all like it. I would like to thank dextrousleftie, whose impeccable fanfiction made me realise how well OC characters work with Ritsu and the other Sohmas.

So, on to the fic!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any other recognisable character. What you don't know is mine! Yay!**

* * *

**Learning to Live**

**Prologue**

Ritsu Sohma sighed and looked around his new apartment with a satisfied smile. He knew that moving out was going to be hard, especially with his crippling shyness, but he also knew that he had to try, before he suffocated under the family's oppressive nature.

His apartment was small, but he loved it. It meant freedom, and the beginning of a new life for the young monkey. The twenty-one year old had finally stopped apologising for everything at the top of his voice, mostly thanks to Tohru's kindness and patience, but his shyness still made it hard to stop entirely.

Ristu sighed again, sadly this time. His parents had not approved of his moving away from home, but he knew it was something he had to do. He started college on Monday, a three year course in sound engineering at the Sagara School of the Arts. He was looking forward to it, this new life of his. With a happy smile, Ritsu began to unpack his things.

* * *

Monday dawned, and Ritsu began his first day at college. He sat himself roughly in the middle of the lecture theatre, having got there early enough to take his pick. Slowly, the theatre began to fill, and a girl his age sat down beside him. "Hi!" she said brightly. "You looked lonely by yourself, so I thought I'd come keep you company."

"Uh… hello." Ritsu said shyly

"I'm Takamura Nanako." She said kindly, sensing his shyness.

"Sohma Ristu." Ritsu replied hesitantly, and the girl smiled. "So are you doing the sound engineering course, or is this an elective?" she asked.

"N-no, this is a core topic for me." Ritsu stammered. "W-what about you?"

She grinned. "Nah, just an elective. I'm a vocal major, but we all have to do a topic outside our major." She explained. "It's the same for you right?"

Ritsu nodded. "I'm taking history of musical theatre. I like that kind of music." He said. "And it only teaches the music, they don't make us act." He added with obvious relief.

Nanako laughed. "I'm taking that too, it's a core. This will be fun." She was excited, and Ritsu couldn't help but smile back. Her flamboyancy was catching. She was silenced prematurely by the arrival of the lecturer.

Ritsu thoroughly enjoyed the two hour lecture, but he knew that Nanako had gotten bored half way through. When it was over, Nanako waited patiently for him to pack up before saying "C'mon, coffee is calling us." She smiled.

"Oh, uh… are you sure?" Ritsu asked nervously, uncertainly.

"Of course I am! Nervous little thing aren't you?" she said. "C'mon Ri-chan, I don't know about you, but that coffee is calling my name."

"Takamura-san…" Ristu began.

"It's Nana-chan." She cut him off. "Takamura-san is my mother… and possibly my grandmother." She pulled him up and dragged him away.

Finally, when they sat in a small on-campus café, Ritsu hung his head. "I'm sorry." He mumbled.

Nana looked taken aback. "For what?" she asked.

"For being do nervous. I'm just not used to doing this sort of thing, or having someone really talk to me."

Nanako sat, shocked, staring at him in perplexity. "Kid," she said finally, "What did your parents _do_ to you?"

Now it was Ritsu's turn to stare in shock. "W-what do you mean?" he stammered.

"I don't mean to upset you Ri-chan." She said quickly. "But if no-one has really ever talked to you or befriended you before, then your parents had to have kept you fairly secluded. It must have been very lonely."

Ritsu thought for a moment that he might burst into tears. He was shocked that someone he had just met understood him so well. He took a deep breath and said haltingly. "Living in the Sohma household is doesn't make for a happy childhood." He paused, trying to find the right words. "We weren't abused or anything, but my cousins and I never experienced much love or affection. We all dealt with it differently, and I dealt with it by dressing like a girl for most of my teenage years. I've always been this shy, worse actually, until not too long ago, and it made me feel more comfortable. Still does really. My mother and father were embarrassed by me and always apologising for me, but I couldn't stop." Ritsu couldn't believe he had said so much to a girl who was almost a total stranger. Guess that proved how comfortable he was around her.

Nanako was quiet for a long time, processing the information. Suddenly, she grinned. "Cross-dressing huh?" she asked and Ritsu nodded. She laughed. "Oh, this is going to be _so_ much fun!"

Ritsu stared at her. "It is?" he asked, confused.

"Of course!" she answered, giggling like a maniac. "You're gay, aren't you?" she guessed.

Startled, Ritsu nodded, speechless that she could read him so well. "See?" she said "This is great! Every girl needs a gay best friend, and cross-dressing makes it even more fun!" she giggled.

Ritsu found himself laughing with her, his heart warmed by the words _best friend_, and more than a little relieved that Nanako wasn't fazed by his tendency to cross-dress, and wondered briefly that if she would be so calm about his tendency to transform into a monkey.

Ritsu spent most of the day with Nanako, separating only to attend their individual classes. In fact, from that day on, Ritsu and Nanako became best friends, and would've been joined at the hip if not for the fact that it would cause Ristu to transform.

Even the family noticed the change in Ritsu. While he was still shy beyond belief, he had somewhere found the confidence to speak for himself without backing away, and the ability to hold a conversation in a rather small, quiet voice. All the members of the zodiac who gathered at New Year were greatly impressed by this new Ritsu, who blushed and said, without stammering, that Nanako had to take the credit.

Kagura squealed, "Oooh! Is she your girlfriend?"

Ristu shook his head. "No! Of course not!" he said. "She's my best friend."

Even Hatori smiled at that, glad to see that Ritsu was at last living is own life.

* * *

It was a year and a half before Nanako finally found out Ritsu's secret. Half way through their second year, the pair were on their way back to Ritsu's house after their last class, like they always did on a Friday night. Ritsu let them in and said "Coffee, Nana-chan?"

"Love one." She replied with a smile. She groaned and laid her head against the table she sat at. "Jeez, I swear Narugawa-sensei was gonna kill me! It's a wonder I still _have_ a voice!"

She heard Ristu laugh from the kitchen and grinned wickedly, amazed how far her shy friend had come in the last year and a half. Still grinning, she got up and crept into the kitchen. "Think its funny do you?" she asked, poking him in the sides.

"Yes!" Ristu said with a small shriek, skittering away from her. "You're only whinging anyway."

"True." Nanako conceded absently, wondering for the thousandth time why Ritsu never let her get close enough to hug him. Suddenly determined, she waited until Ristu returned to the coffee pot, putting his back to her briefly as he reached up for a mug, and then pounced. "Gotcha!" she laughed.

The laughter died when there was a loud 'pop' and a cloud of orange smoke. Nanako dropped to her knees in disbelief as she stared at the monkey she was now holding. "Oh my God…" she breathed.

"Oh no… no, no, no!" the monkey in her arms began to babble.

"You can talk?" Nanako exclaimed, and Ristu fell silent. Nanako found herself stroking the tiny monkey's fur. "You're so soft." She murmured. "And so cute!" she hugged the small body to her tightly. "Now I know why you're so afraid of close contact." She mused, her fingers gliding soothingly, yet absently over the orange fur. "I would be too."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you Nana-chan." Ritsu said miserably. "I'm forbidden by family law."

"It's all right Ri-chan." She replied. "I understand, and I'm not mad. You're absolutely adorable."

"I-it doesn't scare you?" Ritsu had regained his stammer.

Nanako shook her head. "I'll admit to being a little freaked out." She answered softly, "But I'm not scared." She saw the young monkey's eyes filling with tears, and instantly sought to halt the flow. "Ri-chan, I'm not going to stop being your best friend just because you turn into a monkey." She said sharply.

"Y-you're not?" Ritsu asked.

"Of course not!" Nana replied indignantly. "Why would I turn my back on the best friend I've ever had over something like this?" she wiped the tears from his furry face.

He was silent for a long time before he said quietly, "Thanks Nanako."

She smiled. "You're welcome."

The monkey smiled weakly back, and clambered neatly out of her arms to await the transformation back.

When he finally transformed and dressed, they sat down with the long forgotten coffee. "My cousins and I transform into the thirteen animals of the Chinese zodiac." Ritsu explained softly.

"Thirteen?" Nanako asked, "Oh! The cat, right?"

Ritsu nodded. "We are ruled by the head of the family, and no one is supposed to know! I mean, it's a wonder he let Tohru keep her memories!" he ranted, scared not that he would lose his friend to the family secret.

"Ri-chan." She reached over and clasped his shaking hands. "No one has to know. I'm sure as hell not going to tell anyone."

"R-really?" Ritsu asked.

"Really." Nanako promised. She frowned. "But what do mean by keeping memories?" Ritsu sighed. "Cousin Hatori can erase memories." He said. "If you ever meet him, be careful."

"I will." Nanako promised, patting the back of his hand and smiling gently.

Ritsu smiled back, glad to still have Nanako on his side.

* * *

And thus ends the prologue. I know it might seem a little rushed, but it's actually designed to be that way. I wanted to set the scene for the bulk of the story, and this is set a few years before that. By the way, Ritsu will not end up with Nanako, this is a slash fic after all!

See you all soon!


	2. Four Years Later

"Ri-chan

Hello and welcome to chapter 1! Thanks to all the people who read this. Sadly, my best friend Karissa is the only person who reviewed the prologue. I'm hoping that more people will start to review this, since I'm really rather pleased with this story.

In this chapter I attempted to give Ritsu a little bit of confidence, at least around Nanako. But I think I still managed to keep him in character. Please let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any related Characters. Nanako however, belongs to me!**

* * *

**Learning to Live**

**Chapter 1**

"Ri-chan!" a female voice yelled down the corridor behind him. Ritsu suppressed an eye roll, and turned to wait for his best friend, Nanako Takamura. It had been three and a half years since Nanako had discovered his secret, and the two, now nearly twenty-six year olds, were closer than ever.

Nana came running up, leaning over and trying to catch her breath. "Thanks for waiting." She panted.

"No problem." Ritsu answered, smiling as Nana carefully linked her arm with is and they continued down the hallway.

"So, are we going out tonight?" Nana asked.

Ritsu sighed. "I suppose so." He replied.

"Jeez! No need to sound so enthusiastic!" Nana pouted.

Ritsu laughed. "Sorry! But you know how I feel about crowded places." He looked at her pointedly.

Nana giggled. "Okay, okay… no more nightclubs! That was a bad idea."

"No? Really?" Ritsu said sarcastically.

"I keep forgetting," Nana admitted. "I keep forgetting that it's not a good idea. I'm so used to it now that I don't even think about it." Nana had no qualms about crash tackling her friend in private, and Ritsu was resigned to spending more time as a monkey. He hadn't told his family that Nanako knew the secret, and he wasn't planning to, knowing full well what would happen if he did. He shuddered delicately and changed the subject. "So where are we going this time?"

"Hmmm… Oh! How about that new karaoke bar, what's it called again? _Crystallise, _that's it."

"Karaoke? Are you mad?" Ritsu asked nervously.

"Why not? It'll be fun! Besides, you're a fantastic singer!" Nana admonished. "And there's not much chance of us running into anyone, I reserved us a booth." She looked up at Ritsu with pleading eyes.

Ritsu sighed. "Fine." He reluctantly agreed, and his friend clapped her hands excitedly. "Great! Now come one! We're gonna be late!" she pulled him faster down the hallway.

They arrived at the studio, and Nanako let herself into the recording booth as Ritsu seated himself behind the sound equipment, settling a pair of earphones over his ears. He nodded a shy greeting to Nanako's manager and producer, and called Nana's attention over a microphone. "You ready to go?" he asked her, and she nodded.

"Okay, here we go." Ritsu replied, pushing a button.

The introduction began, and Nanako began to sing.

_**Just like the glorious northern sky you guided me,**_

_**Shining a light of pure tranquillity,**_

_**To a secret place where no one else could go,**_

_**Free to reveal the things I never show.**_

_**Strong, like a symphony,**_

_**You protected me from reality.**_

_**Somewhere to hide, somewhere to breathe,**_

_**Somewhere to call my sanctuary,**_

_**Here in the dark I can be strong,**_

_**Knowing that nothing can hurt from now on.**_

_**Somewhere to hide, somewhere to breathe,**_

_**Somewhere to call my sanctuary,**_

_**Closer to the sun…**_

_**To your heart I run…**_

Ritsu made a cut off motion and cut the music. "Nana-chan, you're slightly flat as you move up to the higher register. Not too much, but a bit." He said.

Nanako grimaced. Ritsu's idea of 'slightly flat' was virtually undetectable to the average ear.

Ritsu had perfect musical memory, which included perfect pitch. This was the main reason that Ritsu had landed such a good job within the record label almost straight out of college. He'd been an apprentice engineer for all of a year because of his talent. Sadly, at least from Nanako's point of view (feeling her inferiority complex a little), this also meant that he could play any instrument he picked up with little effort; he only needed to hear it once, which also meant that he could sing too, much to Nana's disgust. When the higher ups at Iceberg Records caught wind of his talents, the offered him a record deal on the spot. Ritsu had refused it, saying shyly that he was happy behind the scenes, and that he wasn't cut out for the stage and spotlight. So Nana, as an up-and-coming solo artist, had had Ritsu as her head sound engineer ever since.

"Okay, Ri-chan" she said cheerfully, "I'll try and fix it."

The second try made Ritsu giver his best friend a thumbs up, and she smiled as she continued to sing.

* * *

That night, after Ritsu had finished with his extra work on Nanako's music, he met the girl out the front of the building to go back to his apartment to change. Nana managed to convince Ritsu to wear a pair of snugly fitting black dress pants and a somewhat loose fitting white shirt that flared out as it travelled down his arms and clung to his body in all the right places. At least, it did in his friend's opinion. Nana pulled his hair out of it the ponytail he wore it in for work, brushing out the orange locks to remove the kink the ponytail had left behind, until it fell down his back in rippling waves. Nana herself wore a knee length black sleeveless dress, with her hair pulled back from the sides into a bun. Deeming them both ready, Nana dragged Ritsu, a little reluctantly on his part, down to the bar.

Ritsu tended not to drink that much, sticking to one or two glasses of wine in an evening. Nana on the other hand, could drink anyone under the table without even slurring her words. Of course, she always felt it the following morning.

Naturally, Nanako had no issue with commandeering the microphone to sing in front of a somewhat inebriated crowd. Ritsu on the other hand, needed more than a little encouragement. Most of the times that he and Nana went to places like these he cowered in the corner if she so much as suggested it. If he did perform, it was at the end of the evening when most of the drunken clientele had finally staggered home.

For most of the night, a slightly tipsy Nanako dominated the stage to drunken cheers and catcalls, at which she laughed delightedly. But tonight was one of the few nights she managed to coax Ritsu on to the stage. Blushing furiously, Ritsu accepted the microphone from his best friend and stepped on to the stage. He didn't notice that as the music started, a young man sat at the back of the room watching him intently. He also didn't see him sit bolt upright when he began to sing a rather said song in his sweet, clear voice.

_**Six-thirty winter morn, snow keeps falling silent dawn**_

_**A rose by any other name, Eva leaves her Swanbrook home**_

_**Kindest heart that always made me ashamed of my own**_

_**She walks alone but not without her name.**_

_**Eva flies away, dreams the world far away**_

_**In this cruel children's game, there's no friend to call her name**_

_**Eva sails away, dreams the world far away**_

_**The good in her will be my sunflower field.**_

Keichiiro Nizawa found his eyes riveted to the gorgeous creature on the stage. Something in his sad orange eyes told Keichiiro that he related to that song somehow, and the young man felt a deep desire to see those bright eyes shine with joy and happiness, and he wanted to be the one who made him sparkle. The beautiful boy stepped gracefully off the stage and towards a girl he recognised as Nanako Takamura, a young and increasingly popular solo artist. Slowly, and determined to talk to the vibrant creature that had captured his attention, he approached the booth the pair were sitting at. He heard Takamura say "I'm going to get one more drink, and then I think I'd better head home, I have work tomorrow. Do you want anything?"

The beauty shook his head, his bright hair shimmering as it moved in the dim light of the club. "No thanks." He replied, his voice sounded like gentlest of summer breezes to the intrigued Keichiiro.

The moment Nanako reached the bar, Keichiiro approached the beautiful boy, bending to murmur in his ear. "You were wonderful up there." The boy jumped three feet in the air and scampered backwards like a scared rabbit. _"Only Momiji wouldn't run away from anything."_ A little voice chimed in at the back of his mind.

"I'm sorry." Keichiiro apologised, realising that he had frightened this lovely boy with his advance. "But I mean it, you're performance was wonderful." He smiled encouragingly.

"Umm… thank you…" the boy stammered, clearly still unnerved by his presence.

Ritsu was shell shocked by this handsome man. Why would someone like this want to talk to someone like him? He was worthless, and not even Nanako at her most persistent was able to convince him otherwise. There had been a few men in the past who had wanted to date him, and not one thing Nanako said could convince the shy monkey that he was worth their time.

The young man reached out and lightly grasped Ritsu's hand, brushing his lips lightly against the boy's fingers in a feather light kiss. "My name is Keichii, what's yours, my little pretty one?"

"Uh…" Ritsu stuttered, a little scared by this man's proximity.

He was saved by Nanako's timely, and rather welcome, arrival. The girl had been watching the interchange from the bar. She had been about to return to the table from the bar when she had seen the young man approach her friend. Curious, she stayed at the bar to watch the interaction. She could tell Ritsu was scared by the young man's attention, and downed the last of her drink when she saw him kiss Ritsu's hand. She sauntered over to rescue her best friend, and her eyes widened as she recognised the young man talking to her friend. Nanako tapped Ritsu on the shoulder and Ritsu jumped. "C'mon," she said. "We'd better go."

Ritsu got gratefully to his feet, and Keichiiro admired his natural grace as he moved. He caught the beautiful creature's hand again. "I still need to know your name, Bright Eyes." he pleaded.

Ritsu fled. He bolted out of the club, not stopping until he got outside, leaning against the wall and trying to regain his breath and calm his rapidly beating heart. His whole body was shaking, and a small part of Ritsu knew it was all entirely from fear.

Nanako followed him out, watching him carefully. "Do you realise who that was?" she asked slowly, watching for his reaction. Ritsu shook his head. "That was Keichiiro Nizawa!" Nanako told him, and then rolled her eyes at his blank look. "Keichiiro Nizawa is the lead singer of the new JPop band _Zodiac_. They're getting really popular!" she hadn't missed the irony, but her friend apparently had.

Ritsu barely heard her; he was too busy thinking about Keichiiro Nizawa; his deep voice and his expressive black eyes. The young monkey felt his heart rate rise, but Nanako's nest words brought him back to reality. "_Zodiac_ have just signed with Iceberg Records, so you might see him around the studios some time."

Ritsu stared at his friend in horror, wondering how he had gotten into this mess.

He blamed Nanako. This was her idea in the first place. He never should've let her drag him here. _"Besides,"_ Ritsu thought, _"Iceberg's a pretty big place, I probably won't even see him."_

With that hopeful thought in mind, Ritsu linked arms with Nanako and they headed home.

* * *

That's the end of chapter 1! I'm trying to show that Ritsu has come a long way, since this is set a few years after the prologue. I hope I did a decent job of it, I'm trying to make it so he's got more confidence thanks to Nanako, but is still really, _really_ shy. I know it's kind of short, I actually thought it would be longer, but oh well.

At any rate, please review and tell me what to think. It's a bit tragic when my only reviewer is my best friend! tear


	3. A New Charge

Hello everyone! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, especially Redluna, who reviewed on both _and_ !

Thanks so much lovey!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket! I do, however, own Keichiiro, his band mates, and Nanako!**

* * *

The Gods hated him. He was sure of it. Ritsu spent the morning of the Monday after his encounter with _Zodiac_'s lead singer in a recording booth with Nanako, as he always did. Most mornings were spent recording with Nanako, as well as Friday afternoons. Other afternoons were spent with the other artists under his care.

Apparently, that was now a thing of the past. He finished with Nanako around twelve, and was greeted upon exiting the studio, by the Company President, his boss. "Shacho." Ritsu greeted him with a bow.

"Sohma-san." The man returned the greeting with a small bow of his own. "Walk with me."

Ritsu fell into step with his boss, wondering what the President of Iceberg Records wanted with him.

"Sohma-san, I'm reassigning you to a new band. All your other artists aside from Miss Takamura are being given to other engineers to handle." The man said to him.

"Yes sir." Ritsu replied softly.

"You will be needed on the fourth floor after you return for lunch. Studio 403." The president informed him.

"Yes sir." Ritsu said again, bowing as the president walked away.

He wondered briefly who this new band was.

An hour later, he wished he'd never asked.

* * *

When Ritsu walked into studio 403 at 1:00pm, he very nearly turned tail and ran in the opposite direction. There, standing in front of him was Keichiiro Nizawa. The man smiled at him gently, an expression that terrified Ritsu. "So I've finally found you Bright Eyes." He said.

"Uh…" Ritsu stammered, but was saved temporarily by the arrival of the President. "Nizawa-san, may I present Sohma Ritsu. He will be your head sound engineer as of today." Ritsu bowed nervously.

"Ritsu is it?" the young man said, and Ritsu shivered involuntary at the way his name sounded on Keichiiro's lips. He nodded once, a quick, nervous movement, still stuck in his bow. Keichiiro stepped forward and raised Ritsu's face to stare into the monkey's golden-brown eyes. "A very beautiful name, Bright Eyes; it suits you."

The president looked confused. "You've met before?" he asked.

"Once." Keichiiro confirmed.

"Well, at any rate, I leave you in Sohma-san's capable hands." The President said and left a shaky Ritsu to it.

Keichiiro was suddenly shoved aside, and a young man around 25 peered at him with curious green eyes. "Wow…" he exclaimed. "Keichi said you were pretty, but I didn't think you'd be this gorgeous." He told Ritsu. The boy simply stared, dumbfounded by the attention.

"I think the terms he used were 'captivating' and 'beautiful'." Another man said calmly. He looked Ritsu over with appreciation. "He was right."

A third laughed; a light musical sound. "Leave him alone you two!" he commanded playfully. "We've got work to do sometime this afternoon. Now introduce yourselves!"

The first grinned. "I am Kaoru Fukawa. I play the guitar." He said, he had a shock of red hair and bright green eyes, and Ritsu found he liked the boy, despite his exuberance.

The second pushed Kaoru gently out of the way. He was the tallest member of the band, with long chocolate brown hair that hung in a loose ponytail just below his shoulders. "I am Masato Hanayashiki; I am the synth and keyboard player." He bowed politely.

The third stepped forward with a giggle. "I'm Makoto Nakashima, I'm the drummer." Makoto smiled a sunny smile, and his shimmering blue eyes sparkled. His light brown hair fell into his eyes, and he brushed it away in exasperation.

Keichiiro stepped forward, patting the younger boy on the head. "And I and Keichiiro Nizawa, the lead singer." He smiled sweetly at Ritsu. "There, I finally got to introduce myself to you properly Bright Eyes."

Now that Ritsu had the chance to look at him properly, the young monkey felt as though the air had been knocked out of him. Keichiiro's black hair was naturally messy from what looked like years of fingers being pushed through it. His midnight blue eyes held depths that Ritsu almost drowned in.

Makoto seemed to notice his discomfort, and smiled at him. "C'mon guys, this album won't record itself you know!" the youngest member ushered Kaoru, Masato and a seemingly shell-shocked Keichiiro into the recording booth. The lead singer allowed the young drummer to lead him into the booth while he regained his senses. Ritsu's pretty face and expressive brown eyes, now that he could see them in full light, had thrown him for a loop. Ritsu was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

With the glass between the booth and the sound equipment separating him from Keichiiro, Ritsu was able to compose himself and sit behind the equipment, earphones over his ears. It made him feel instantly better, his confidence rising in his element. This was the one thing Ritsu knew how to do, the one area he felt comfortable in. he smiled happily, now completely unaware of Keichiiro's gaze on him.

_Zodiac'_s band members spent the afternoon learning why Ritsu Sohma was considered the best in the business. He worked them into the ground, not realising that Keichiiro was making so many mistakes because he was so busy watching Ritsu come out of his shell as he worked. Finally, the producer called a halt, and Ritsu turned to find Nanako leaning in the doorway. Ritsu smiled and she grinned back at him. He introduced his friend to the band, and was surprised when Kaoru and Makoto linked arms with him and dragged him off to find food, followed closely by Masato.

Keichiiro was about to follow them when Nanako stopped him. "Walk with me, Nizawa-san." She said pleasantly, linking her arm through his. Keichiiro could see the underlying determination in the girl's eyes. "Do I have a choice?" he asked lightly.

"Not really." She replied with a smile. They headed in the same direction as the others.

"What can I do for you Miss Takamura?" Keichiiro asked her.

"I'll get straight to the point, Nizawa-san." Nanako said bluntly. "You are attracted to Ritsu, aren't you?"

Keichiiro studied the girl carefully. "If by 'attracted' you mean the fact that I think he's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen, then yes, I am." He replied truthfully.

Nanako allowed a small smile to grace her lips. "I'm glad. You appear to be quite serious about him." She said.

Keichiiro nodded. "I am. Very much so." He responded.

Nanako beamed at him, and then her face grew serious. "I'm sure by now you've noticed how shy he is" she said, and Keichiiro nodded.

"Ritsu's heart is very fragile. He's never known much affection in his life. I was his first friend. If his heart gets broken I doubt anyone will be able to repair it." she said quietly. "If you hurt him, Nizawa-san, you'll answer to me." She told him, somewhat coldly.

Keichiiro smiled at her. "Don't worry." He assured her. "I have no intention of hurting him. If I can win him, I'll never let him go."

Nana brightened. "I'm glad to hear it." she said cheerfully. "Now, on a lighter note, its Ritsu's birthday this weekend, here's the address."

Keichiiro grinned. "Thanks." He replied thankfully.

Nanako grinned back. "No worries!" she answered with a giggle.

* * *

When Nanako finally caught up with Ritsu and rescued him from the members of _Zodiac_, Keichiiro rejoined his band mates in the cafeteria. "Wow Keichii, I'm impressed." Masato admitted. "The boy is a gem." Kaoru and Makoto nodded vigorously in agreement.

"He's so sweet." Makoto added. "Painfully shy, of course, but he's really lovely."

"I'm glad you all like him." Keichiiro replied with a smile. "I really think I might be falling for him already."

"Whoa…" Kaoru said, awestruck. "Hell Keichii, I've never heard you talk about anyone like that before. I mean, you've been in serious relationships before and all, but you're already talking love and you haven't even asked him out yet!"

Keichiiro glared at him. "So? What's wrong with that?" he growled.

"Nothing," Kaoru replied hastily. "It's just not like you, that's all."

Keichiiro relaxed. "I know." He admitted. "But there's something about him that just makes me want to hold him and take care of him forever."

Masato grinned at him. "So what are you going to do about it?" he asked.

Keichiiro grinned back. "It's his birthday this weekend, and I just got a party 'invitation' from Nanako Takamura."

"So we're going?" Makoto asked excitedly; he _loved_ parties.

"Yup!" Keichiiro laughed at Makoto's excited antics. "Anything _else_ you want to know?" he demanded of his friends good naturedly.

"Just one thing…" Kaoru began impishly.

"What?" Keichiiro sighed.

"Does he have any brothers?"

* * *

And that's chapter 2 complete! You've now met Keichii's friends, and I plan on hooking them up with some Sohma cousins. Any guesses on which ones for which band member? I will dish out corresponding cyber-plushies to anyone who guesses right!

Just a heads up, I'm going to mess with the Sohma's ages a bit to fit the story and the pairings better (this should tip you off as to which pairings I'm going to use!).

See you soon!


	4. The Party

Hi everyone! sorry I took so long, but here is the update, things are gonna start getting interesting now, I promise!

This chapter is dedicated to Redluna, who is a faithful reader of this story, here AND over and !

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fruits Basket or any related character. I do own Nanako and the_ Zodiac_ boys!

* * *

**Learning to Live **

**Chapter 3**

The following Saturday, Ritsu's apartment was full of Sohma cousins, arriving to celebrate the young monkey's twenty-sixth birthday. Tohru, who arrived hand in hand with Kyo, kissed Ritsu on the cheek and wished him a happy birthday, her usual cheerful smile gracing her pretty face. The girl had offered to bring food for the party, and offer Ritsu had accepted with stammered thanks. So Tohru gleefully set about taking over Ritsu's tiny kitchen. Kyo left her to it, knowing she was in her element. Kyo and Tohru still lived with Shigure, not wanting him to live by himself in that huge house (not that Kyo would admit it). Yuki had moved out a couple of years ago, and was living with Hatsuharu and Momiji. Yuki and Haru had been together since Haru had started University five years ago. Momiji just lived there because he could, and the three of them still stayed at Shigure's most weekends.

Nanako was in her element as social butterfly. She fluttered around the cousins, chatting amiably with Kagura, or Momiji, or Yuki, or anyone who would talk back.

Eventually, she joined Tohru in the kitchen. Shigure sauntered over to Ritsu with a lazy grin. "Hatori and Ayame are on their way Ri-chan. Ha-san had to go and pick Aya up from the shop." He said.

"That's great Shigure." Ritsu replied shyly. "I'm looking forward to seeing them." Shigure blinked; he'd been hoping for a more traditional reaction from Ritsu. While he was happy that Ritsu had gained so much confidence, there was a tiny sadistic part of him that missed working Ritsu into an apologetic frenzy.

Any further ribbing Shigure may have attempted was cut short when a group of four young men walked through the door, led by a boy with black hair and blue eyes. But the one who really drew his attention was a small red head with the brightest green eyes he had ever seen. Momentarily stunned, he came back to himself when he heard Ritsu whimper. He stared at the young monkey, a slow smile spreading on his face as he realised that his cousin was attracted to the young man with the blue eyes.

Ritsu couldn't help the whimper that escaped him when Keichiiro Nizawa and the other members of _Zodiac_ walked through his front door. "I'm going to _kill_ her!" he stormed into the kitchen.

Shigure grinned, _'This will be interesting'_ he thought, ambling over to engage that adorable little red head in conversation.

****

Ritsu was in the kitchen, freaking out at his best friend. "Nana! I know you invited him! What were you thinking?" he wailed.

"Don't panic Ri-chan." Nanako said cheerfully. "The more the merrier right? It'll be fun!"

Tohru saw Ritsu wrap shaking arms around himself. She reached out and took his hands in hers. "It's that boy with the blue eyes right?" she asked. Ritsu nodded. "He's very handsome." Tohru said with a kind smile, causing Ritsu to blush.

Nanako came over then and put her hand on her best friend's arm. "Look Ri-chan, I invited him because he really seems to like you."

Ritsu gave a shaky laugh, "Sure he does Nana."

"I'm serious!" she said. "Do you really think I would've let him within three feet of you if he didn't seem sincere?"

"No." Ritsu said softly. "I suppose not." Still, Ritsu doubted Keichiiro Nizawa was seriously interested in him.

"Good, now get out there and mingle!" Nanako said brightly.

"Yes, I think I heard Ayame arrive." Tohru added.

Ritsu nodded, took a deep breath, and left the kitchen.

* * *

Keichiiro spotted Ritsu the moment he walked into the apartment. The boy was stunning, with his simple clothing and hair falling loose around him. He was talking to a handsome man who looked to be Masato's age. His eyes narrowed briefly when the boy smiled shyly at the older man. Then, Ritsu saw him and went pale, fleeing to the kitchen. The man Ritsu had been speaking to approached them. "You would be the one who's got my little cousin all worked up." He said curiously.

Keichiiro grinned. "I hope so." He replied, relieved. Cousin huh? Out the corner of his eye he could see Kaoru staring at the man, his mouth agape, and his grin widened. Brothers, perhaps not, but it appeared Ritsu had a cousin that Kaoru had taking a liking to.

"I'm Shigure." The other man said.

"Keichiiro. These three are Masato, Makoto and Kaoru."

"You guys work with Ritsu?" Shigure asked, smiling at Kaoru, who blushed, but grinned back challengingly.

"Yeah, he's our sound engineer; we're in a band." Keichii replied.

"I see." Shigure said. "Well, be nice to him, he's a little fragile."

"We noticed." Masato commented dryly. "He jumps at the slightest little… _who_ is _that_?" he demanded suddenly, distracted by someone walking through the door.

Shigure followed his gaze, and chuckled, a dark sound that sent shivers down Kaoru's spine. "That's Ayame, he's another cousin."

"Ayame…" Masato breathed, his eyes following the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. "Excuse me." He muttered and quickly made his exit, heading in the direction of the silver haired beauty, like a predator stalking his prey.

Shigure chuckled again. "I'm not sure who I feel sorrier for, Masato or Aya." He commented.

Kaoru grinned. "Trust me, by the time Masato's done being charming, your cousin won't know what hit him."

Makoto shook his head with a long suffering sigh. "The things I have to put up with." He said cheerfully. "I'm going to get something to eat." He wandered of with an absentminded wave.

Soon after, Ritsu reappeared from the kitchen, looking jittery, nervous, and more than a little scared, and Keichiiro almost immediately took his leave.

Seeing an opportunity here, Shigure offered Kaoru his arm, which the younger man accepted with a charming grin. As they sat on the nearby couch, they spotted Makoto standing alone by the dining room table. Kaoru sighed. "Sometimes I feel a bit sorry for Mako." He said softly. When Shigure looked at him questioningly, he explained. "Keichii, Masato and I are all pretty boy crazy. 'Sato may not look it, I know; being the big, quiet one and all, but when he makes the effort to be charming he always manages to find a willing partner. Mako's different."

"How so?" Shigure asked curiously.

""Mako's the youngest of us, but he's always been the 'settle down' kind of guy. He's been like this since we were kids." Kaoru explained.

"The four of you grew up together?" Shigure wanted to know.

Kaoru nodded. "Not Masato though. We've only known him since we got signed. He was a studio musician the label gave us. We got on so well that he stayed with us." The red head smiled fondly at the memory.

"Anyway, Mako had a boyfriend. They'd been together since Senior Year. Mako's twenty-two now, so they'd been together for a long time, especially for a couple of teenagers.'

"So what happened?" Shigure asked.

"He caught him sleeping with another guy about a year ago." Kaoru sighed. "Mako came home from the studio one afternoon and he was fucking some guy in their bed. Mako was heart broken, it nearly killed him. Apparently it had been going on for quite a while. He never talks about it, but I don't think Makoto's really over it even now."

Movement out the corner of his eye made Shigure turn back towards Makoto, and he smiled. "Don't worry Kaoru-kun." He said as he watched Momiji approach the young drummer and engage him in conversation, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "I think Makoto's going to be just fine."

* * *

Ayame and Hatori walked into the party around half an hour late. Aya had been fluffing around, primping and preening in front of the mirror until Hatori had forcibly removed him from the house.

Aya almost immediately zoned in on Yuki, and dragged a bemused Hatori over to talk to his younger brother. Hatsuharu and Hatori looked on in amusement as Yuki tried to find a viable excuse to escape. They may have got along better these days, but Yuki still never knew how to handle his brother at his most flamboyant. His chance came a moment later, when a man with strikingly chocolate hair and eyes approached them, eyes fixed on Aya. Yuki made his getaway as the handsome stranger strolled towards Ayame. "You have to be the most beautiful creature I have ever seen." The stranger said, smiling charmingly. Ayame stared at him, speechless for what was probably the first time in his life. Hatori decided to make his exit, escaping to the kitchen, grinning almost imperceptibly to himself. This was going to be interesting.

Masato grinned at the speechless look on the silver haired man's face. _This should be easy._

Aya quickly tried to regain his senses, looking the man up and down. Well, if this just wasn't the most handsome man he'd ever seen? Noting the glimmer in the man's eyes, Aya suspected that he knew it, too. The silver haired man grinned. He'd enjoy putting this man down a peg or two. _'Or six'_ Aya thought dryly. Not, he admitted, that he wasn't incredibly attracted to the man; he just needed to understand that Aya wasn't going to swoon at the sight of him. No, Aya was going to make him work for it.

"Why thank you sir." Ayame replied with a charming smile of his own. "How nice of you to say so."

The man bowed slightly. "My name is Masato Hanayashiki." He said.

"I am Ayame Sohma." Aya answered him, a slightly haughty ring to his voice.

"You are Ritsu's cousin?" Masato asked.

"That's right." Ayame nodded. "And how do you know my little cousin?"

"My band has been placed under Ritsu's care." Masato answered. "It's a very recent event, but we have all been quite taken with your young cousin, especially Keichiiro over there." He jerked his head towards his friend and a very nervous looking Ritsu.

Aya, momentarily forgetting about Masato and his arrogant manner, peered over in Ritsu's direction. "Oh my…" Aya gasped, watching Keichiiro flirt with a blushing Ritsu. "Don't worry" Masato said. "Keichii will do right by your cousin. He'd never hurt anyone intentionally."

"Good. He'd have a lot of people to answer to if he did." Aya replied decisively. He looked over at Ritsu again. "Still, maybe this friend of yours will be good for him."

"Well maybe." Masato agreed amiably, eager to turn the conversation back to the one that resulted in Ayame being in his bed that night. "So, do you think I could be good for you?" he asked, leaning over Aya and pressing him into a nearby wall, smiling suggestively at him.

Aya resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Was this guy predictable or what? "Oh, I highly doubt that." He remarked, sliding out from under Masato's arms.

"What?" an astounded Masato sputtered, caught unawares.

"I said, I doubt that you're very good for me." Ayame replied with a cheeky smile. _"Two can play at this game!" _he thought smugly. He turned and winked at the older man. "But that doesn't mean that you aren't welcome to try your luck anyway." He flashed the stunned Masato another of his charming grins, and walked away.

* * *

Makoto sighed to himself as he headed towards the huge pile of food situated on the dining room table. Those three were unbelievable sometimes! The only reason Keichii had insisted they come to the party was because of his infatuation with the birthday boy in question, and Kaoru had zoned in on Shigure the instant he walked through the door. As for Masato… well, Masato had been that way as long as Makoto had known him. The moment he had laid eyes on Aya he was gone, but Makoto suspect that Ayame Sohma would give him a run for his money.

As for himself? He had always been the one with the long term, steady boyfriend. That was, until Jiro had cheated on him. For a long time Makoto had thought that he was drowning in the pain and sorrow that betrayal had brought, but eventually the despair had faded and been replaced by a fear of it happening again. Makoto's lonely musings were suddenly interrupted by a young man with a shock of blond hair. "Hello!" he said cheerfully.

"Uh… hi." Makoto replied, surprised by the cheerful boy.

"I'm Momiji." The young man said. "I'm Ritsu's cousin."

"_Just how many cousins does Ritsu have?"_ Makoto wondered vaguely. "I am Makoto." He responded quietly.

Momiji grinned at him. "I know. I'm a follower of your band."

Makoto grimaced. A fanboy, _great_.

Momiji laughed and pulled him to sit on a nearby chair. "Don't worry; I'm not going to start getting hysterical or anything." He promised, and then chuckled at the relieved look on Makoto's face. He then proceeded to snag two plates heaped with food and a pulled up another chair for himself. "Are you a friend of Ritsu's then?" Momiji asked. "Its good to see him finally making some."

Makoto nodded and quickly explained the new setup at the studio. "Ritsu doesn't have a lot of friends?" he asked curiously.

Momiji shook his head. "Ritsu was a naturally shy kid, and his tendency to dress like a girl meant he got picked on a lot. Nanako was his first real friend outside the family." He winced, and added. "Actually, even most of the family had trouble with Ritsu. I always liked him, but others have been less accepting."

Makoto smiled slightly. "Well, I don't know him too well, but he seems like a lovely guy. Keichii is really smitten with him."

"I can see." Momiji said delightedly as he saw Keichiiro talking to Ritsu while the young monkey blushed. Then the rabbit turned his attention back to the boy in front of him. Makoto was a beautiful boy, but something about him screamed heartbreak and insecurity. Momiji decided then and there that he would do his best to see him smile without sadness in his eyes. So Momiji put on his most charming smile and his best puppy dog eyes and said. "So, what would you say to having lunch with me next week?"

Makoto stared at him. _"All this just to hit on me?"_ he thought. Out loud he said. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not, just as friends?" Momiji persisted.

Makoto studied the boy carefully, wondering if he was for real, and why he'd want to go out with someone he'd just met. He didn't believe this 'just as friends' thing, not for a second. Still, what was the harm in one lunch? "Fine. One lunch." Makoto agreed with a sigh.

Momiji grinned widely. "Great!" he said happily. "How's Wednesday for you?"

"I'm recording until 11:30, after that I'm free." Makoto replied.

Momiji's grin grew. "Sweet! It's a date!" he crowed

Makoto couldn't help but wonder what he was getting himself into.

* * *

Hatori escaped to the kitchen as soon as Masato said to his opening line, chuckling to himself at the perplexed look on Ayame's face. Now _that_ was going to be fun to watch. From a safe distance of course.

With the tiniest of smug grins still on his face, he turned and kissed Tohru on the cheek. "Hi Hatori." She said cheerfully.

"Hello Tohru." Hatori smiled at her kindly.

"What were you laughing at out there?" Tohru asked.

"Ayame." Hatori replied blithely.

"O-oh, I see…" Tohru sweat-dropped comically.

Hatori chuckled again. "While I admit that laughing at Ayame is a common occurrence, he's currently being hit on by some guy." He said dryly.

Tohru giggled, and so did another girl that Hatori hadn't noticed before. Now though, he realised she was very beautiful, with long black hair and bright blue eyes and full lips. He also realised that she looked familiar, and then quickly realised that he'd seen her face plastered on billboards all over the city. She was a singer, or something.

The girl walked past him to peer out the door, Tohru right behind her. "That's Ayame over there." Tohru told the girl, who giggled again.

"That's Masato Hanayashiki." She said. "He's with the band _Zodiac_. I invited them."

"Zodiac_ is it?"_ Hatori thought wryly. _"That's ironic."_

Tohru turned back to the kitchen. "Oh right!" she remembered. "Hatori, this is Nanako Takamura. Nana, this is Hatori Sohma."

Nanako bowed, a gesture that Hatori returned minutely. "It's nice to finally meet you Hatori-san."

"Likewise." He said coolly, claming up and falling back on old habits.

Nana looked up at him, a calculating look on her face. She looked like she wanted to say something, but seemed to decide against it at the last moment. She found the older man attractive, almost hauntingly so. She longed to know more about him, but something told her that he would never open up to her. She grinned to herself. Perhaps she should try and break that façade. It could be fun, to see the real person behind that stern exterior.

Deciding to let things slide for now, she smiled prettily at him and flicked her long black hair over her shoulder before returning to her previous kitchen tasks, plotting ways she could 'accidentally on purpose' run into him again. Hatori blinked, taken aback, but let her be.

Little did he know that Nanako Takamura always got what she wanted, and she wanted him.

* * *

The moment Ritsu came out of the kitchen, Keichiiro made a beeline for the beautiful boy, determined to finally wring a conversation out of him. Keeping Nanako's warning from earlier in the week in mind, he carefully approached the long haired sound engineer with an amicable smile on his face. "Hello Ritsu-chan." He murmured.

Ritsu blushed, rather adorably in the other man's opinion. "H-hello." He whispered, flustered by the attractive singer's presence.

Keichiiro suppressed a grin, and reached into his pocket. "Happy birthday." He said, producing a small, wrapped present. Ritsu's eyes widened, he hadn't anticipated a present from a man he barely knew. _Then again_ he thought wryly, _I hadn't anticipated a man I barely know showing up here!_

"T-thank you, v-very much." He stammered finally.

"You're very welcome." Keichiiro answered with another hear stopping smile. "Will you open it?" he asked.

Ritsu nodded, and with unexplainably trembling fingers, began to untie the ribbon around the package, before sliding his long, slim fingers under the tape that held the wrapping together. Keichiiro shuddered inwardly, as a stray thought flitted into his mind, whispering evilly about other things that Ritsu's fingers might be able to do. Fiercely squashing the little voice in his head telling him to ravage the beautiful young man, Keichiiro watched Ritsu's pretty face as he lifted his present out of the box, eyes wide, mouth agape.

"_Oh!" _Ritsu exclaimed quietly, as he stared, awestruck, at the beautiful pendant the older man had bought him. "It's beautiful." He said.

"Just like you." Keichiiro couldn't resist replying, smiling when Ritsu's blush intensified. "May I?" he asked, and Ritsu nodded dumbly.

"This gem is a yellow Tiger Eye." Keichiiro told him as he fastened the diamond shaped pendant around the monkey's slender neck. The singer fought the sudden urge to bend and kiss the flesh at the boy's throat as the smaller boy lifted his hair out of the way. "I think it matches your eyes beautifully." He couldn't help but trail his fingers ever so lightly down the back of Ritsu's neck before stepping reluctantly away.

Ritsu felt as though his blush had permanently stained his cheeks. "T-thank you." He whispered. "You didn't have to."

"I know that." Keichiiro said kindly. "But I wanted to." He reached over and took the younger man's hand in his own. "Ritsu, I really like you, and I find you very attractive." The singer told him seriously. "I would be honoured if you would go out on a date with me."

Ritsu immediately had the strong urge to throw himself at the man's feet and scream apologies, for there was no way he could ever be good enough for the handsome vocalist. "I-I don't think…" he began, but Keichiiro cut him off.

"Please, Ritsu? It would make me so happy if you said yes." He said softly.

Ritsu looked around wildly, and saw Nana coming out of the kitchen with a plate of food. His best friend was looking straight at him; a tiny smile on her face told him she had heard everything. As he looked in her direction, the plea for help shining in his eyes, she jerked her head in Keichiiro's direction, and nodded vigorously. She thought he should say yes.

Ritsu took a deep breath, and turned back towards Keichiiro. He could see the worry in the dark blue eyes. Staring at the floor, he managed to answer, "All right Keichiiro-san, I'll go on a date with you."

The other man let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God!" he said, squeezing the hand he still held. "For a moment there I thought you would say no."

Ritsu couldn't help a small smile. "It was a close thing." He mumbled, still staring at the floor.

Gentle fingers grasped his chin and lifted is face so he was gazing into those impossibly blue eyes. "I'm glad you didn't." he said softly.

He slowly pulled away and stepped back. "I think I've pushed you enough for one day." He said apologetically. "I'll pick you up after work on Monday for our date. Is that all right?" he asked, and Ritsu nodded dumbly.

He smiled. "Good. Until then, Bright Eyes." he said, and kissed Ritsu's hand before he turned and walked away, the other band members excusing themselves from the other Sohma's to follow him, Kaoru in particular looked happy, having got himself a date with Shigure the following Friday. The three boys knew from Keichiiro's ecstatic grin that Ritsu had agreed to a date, and they clapped him on the back in congratulations.

Still rooted to the spot Keichiiro had left him in, Nanako decided to check on her best friend. "That's very pretty." She said, pointing to the pendant around Ritsu's neck. "Was that a birthday present from Keichiiro?"

"Oh!" Ritsu exclaimed, coming out of his stupor. "Yes, it was. It's a Tiger Eye."

Nanako laughed. "Well! He couldn't have chosen a more perfect gem!"

"What do you mean?" Ritsu asked curiously.

"The Tiger Eye promotes confidence and clear thinking, and also helps convert anxiety, fear and obsessiveness into logic and practicality." Nanako told him, and even Ritsu had to smile at the irony. "He told me he thought it matched my eyes." he giggled.

"There's one other thing." Nana said with a wink, "The Tiger Eye is also the birthstone of people born in the Year of the Monkey." Ritsu stared at her. "Talk about coincidence, huh?" she laughed delightedly.

Ritsu however, wasn't sure it was such a good thing Keichiiro knew him so well, even if it _was_ unconsciously.

* * *

The end of another chapter! I hope you guys all enjoyed it, and will pretty, pretty please, leave a review! They make me _so_ happy!


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